Welcome to Living Fictitiously. We are Kimberly and Britney. We adore escaping into a fictional world and crushing over hot book guys. We read. We review. We blog.
~May a book be forever in your hands~

Friday, June 28, 2013

From New York Times
and USA Today bestselling author, Emma Hart, comes the second book in
The Game series, and the story everyone wanted after The Love Game…

She's
in love with him.
He's trying not to love her.
One night changes everything.

Aston
Banks never meant to get close to Megan Harper – not even for that one night.
Haunted by a childhood he refuses to face, he knew she could break through
every wall he’d ever built and tear them down without even realising she was
doing it.

Betraying
Braden by starting a relationship with Aston wasn’t on Megan’s to-do list, but
the second she sees a glimpse of someone other than the arrogant ass she’s come
to know, she can’t walk away.

Aston’s
childhood is worse than Megan ever guessed, but as he tries and fails to push
her away, it’s clear her love is stronger than the demons that cling to him
every day. And now, because of it, he finally has to deal with what he’s buried
deep down.

What
he doesn’t want to face. What he’s fought against for so long.

And
they have to do it all without Braden finding out.

Keeping
a relationship secret has never been harder.

**This book can be read
as a standalone novel, but reading The Love Game (The Game, #1) beforehand is
advised.**

Review:

Ok, so I loved Braden and Maddie, but I completely adore Aston and
Megan. Their relationship is just so different from Braden and Maddie’s, and I
loved how even though they were playing a “game” it wasn’t a game between the
two of them. The stakes were much higher for Megan and Aston. In addition to
Braden going “caveman” on Aston for even looking at Megan, Aston has some
pretty big secrets.

I have a giant soft spot of broken and damaged men, poor Aston is
pretty broken behind his tough, have-no-care façade. The way things develop and
the way Aston evolves as a character is captivating and I finished this book
even faster than I finished The Love
Game.

There was more sex involved for this couple, and the sex was very
well written. It is one thing Emma Hart does really well in addition to the
character development. Megan and Aston are very strong characters and I love
their relationship, but I think my favorite relationship is that between Megan
and Braden. We get a much more in depth look at their relationship and just how
protective Braden really is of her.

If you loved The Love Game,
you will be head over heels in love with Playing
for Keeps. If you haven’t read The Love
Gameit
isn’t required to understand the events in Playing
for Keeps, but I strongly recommend it!

Want
a little taste of Aston and Megan? Check out this wonderful little glimpse into
Playing for Keeps.

Excerpt:

ASTON:

“You okay?”

I shake my head. “No. Every time. Every fucking time he brings her
up. I thought he wouldn’t in front of you, but he did.”

“He has his own pain,” she says softly. “It doesn’t excuse it, but
he does. He feels guilty for what happened to you – that he couldn’t stop it.”

My mind reels for a second and I look down at her. “He told you
that?”

She nods, letting her hand drop from my back and standing in front
of me. I stop.

“You’ve never let him tell you.” She reaches up and cups my face.
“He hurts, too, Aston. You both hurt. It’s not something that will go away, but
you can’t let it rule your lives. If you let pain rule you you’ll get lost in
it.”

“What if I’m already lost?”

“You’re not lost. You’re hiding, but you’re not lost. I won’t let
you get lost.”

I let my hands come up and rest on her back, pulling her into me.
“What if there’s no map?”

“Then I’ll get lost with you,” she whispers. “I won’t let you let
them win, Aston. I won’t let you get sucked in by those demons. I won’t let
that happen. I care too much.”

And she does. I can hear it in her voice.

She wraps her arms around my neck, and I hold her to me tighter,
our foreheads resting against each other.

“I’ll try, Megs,” I promise. “I can’t say I won’t, but as long as
you’re here, I think I’ll be okay.”

“And you’ll talk to your Gramps? Just once?”

“I’ll think about it. How about we just focus on stopping me from
getting lost for a bit?”

“You just need a place to aim for, that’s all. You need a place to
go to.”

“Go on then.” I smile. “Give me a place.”

“Okay.” She pauses for a second, closing her eyes and chewing her
lip.

“I’m waiting…” I tease her.

Her blue eyes open, shocking me with their vitality. “Aim for the
moon, because even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

“I don’t need to aim for the sky. The only star I’ll ever need is
standing right in front of me.” I brush my lips over hers. “Maybe the place I
need to aim for is nowhere other than where I am right now.”

“Maybe I’d go with you wherever you ended up.”

“Maybe I’d never ask that of you.”

“Maybe you wouldn’t need to ask. Maybe you’ll never need to ask me
for anything, because I’ll always be here.”

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New
Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to a terrible
two year old and growing bump, due September 2013. By night, she drops the
cape, pours a glass of juice and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her
followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret
projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a
sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta
love.

She likes to be busy - unless busy involves doing the dishes, but
that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

Nora Montgomery left home and heartbreak behind in South Carolina when she moved to New York City after her high school graduation. Now, four years later, she returns home and is forced to confront the past she left behind and the reckless boy who broke her heart. It’s not long before the pieces of her past begin to blur with the present and she realizes that the feelings she had for her first love never really went away. As old dreams resurface and new truths come to light, she begins to question the future she's always planned on.
Jake Harris has spent four years regretting the night he let her get away. When she finally reappears in his life, he is determined to win her back and prove how much he’s changed. She might never forgive him for that night, but if he tells her the truth about what really happened it will shatter the world she thought she knew. If he doesn’t, he might not get a second chance. He’s already lost her once and he won’t lose her again.
They come from two different worlds that are threatening to tear them apart…can they make it this time around?

Sneak
Peek Excerpt

A drop of water
landed on my cheek, waking me up and interrupting my moment of tranquility. I
opened my eyes and saw that the blue sky had turned grey and mean with the
promise of a summer storm. This was a common occurrence around here. Short
summer storms would come through on even the most beautiful of days.

“Jake, wake up!”
I nudged his arm and started packing up the last remnants of our picnic before
everything got soaked. He opened his eyes groggily, jumping into motion when he
saw the clouds overhead threatening to dump rain all over us.

We moved quickly
across the water, thanks to his speedy rowing, and were only a few yards away
from the dock when the sky opened up and rain started hammering down on us. I
shrieked and made a pathetic attempt to cover myself with the cardigan I was
holding, while Jake just looked at me and laughed.

When we edged up
against the dock I practically leapt out of the boat and carried my guitar and
the picnic basket back to the shelter of the cabin. I was about to go inside to
get away from the storm, but when I looked for Jake I saw that he was still out
on the dock. He was leisurely pulling the rowboat up onto the dock and flipping
it over, clearly in no hurry despite the buckets of rain coming down over his
head.

“What’s taking so
long?” I said, rushing to the end of the dock where he was still standing, “In
case you didn’t notice, we’re getting drenched!”

Jake just smiled.
“Since when do you care about getting a little wet? The Nora I remember used to
love running around in rainstorms.” He strode over to me and ran his hands up
my arms. “It’s kinda nice, isn’t it?”

I nodded,
stepping closer and looking up at him through the sheets of rain. He was
gorgeous… especially when he was dripping wet. I reached up and traced his
jawline, trailing my finger through the droplets of rain and watched as his
eyes turned dark with desire.

Within a half a
second his mouth was on mine and his hands were at my hips drawing me closer.
His kiss started off slow but when his tongue met mine it became needy and
impassioned. I slowly ran my hands up his hard chest and over his shoulders,
pulling myself closer to him. His grip around me tightened and he moved his
hands down, grabbing my bottom and lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around him
and held onto him firmly.

“I want you,” he
grumbled against my lips, “I can’t wait any longer.”

About the Author

Ellie Grace is an avid reader, chocolate lover and caffeine addict. When a story popped into her head that she couldn’t seem to shake, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a writer. When she’s not writing, she’s usually curled up with a book by one of her many, many favorite authors.

If you'd asked me
what love was two years ago, I probably would've said, 'It's this amazing
feeling that obsesses and possesses you; it's what me and my husband currently
have.' If you ask me that same question today, I'll say, 'Please get the hell
out of my face.’'

Claire
Gracen's life is picture perfect. Her career as a marketing director is on the
brink of being legendary, and her marriage to her high school sweetheart has
never been stronger. No, wait. It has. It used to be amazing
and fulfilling, but one day Claire realizes that she's been living a lie and
her best friend and husband have committed the ultimate betrayal.

Broken
and depressed, Claire is in need of something new—new city, new job, new
friends.

When
she happens to attract the interest of the sexiest man she's ever met, a man
significantly younger than her, she immediately turns him down—only to later
discover that this man is Jonathan Statham, self-made billionaire and CEO of
Statham Industries. Her boss.

Jonathan
Statham is unlike any man she's met before. He's used to getting whatever he
wants—whenever he wants, and he isn't about to take no for an
answer.

Sexy,
unpredictable, and charmingly clever, Mid Life Love is a story that will
captivate you, entertain you, and force you to fall deeply in love with the
characters.

Snippet of Jonathan and
Claire’s first encounter:

“Need
some help?” A deep voice said from behind.

“Sure.” I
didn’t look up. I kept stacking the red boxes in between the yellow ones,
making sure each box was perfectly aligned into the tacky half diamond
formation.

As I
stacked the last cereal box atop the display, I turned to look at the man who’d
helped me out.

OH. MY.
GOD…

He had
one of those faces that belonged in a Ralph Lauren ad—stark blue eyes that
gleamed with the faintest hint of light, a perfectly chiseled jaw line with a
light sexy stubble, and full, well defined lips that looked inviting enough to
kiss all day.

He was
dressed in dark blue jeans and a black sweat shirt with “San Fran” in white
letters. And for some odd reason, he was smiling at me.

He’s
probably a student at the law school down the street….If only I could go back
in time…Oh well…

“Umm…Thank
you for your help.” I turned away and went back to my basket.

“Wait a
minute,” he said as he walked over. “I didn’t catch your name.”

How cute…“Claire.”

“Nice to
meet you, Claire. I’m Jonathan.” He reached out to shake my hand. “I know this
may seem forward, but I can’t leave the store without knowing if I can I take
you out tonight.”

What? Did
he just ask me out? For tonight?

“Umm…”

“You can
pick the place.” He smiled a perfect white smile and ran a hand through his jet
black hair. “And we can meet there if you don’t want me to pick you up.”

Stop
looking at his smile and avert your gaze somewhere lower…Not that lower!

“I would
but…” I literally couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was the sexiest man I’d
ever seen and I could feel this strange rush of warmth coursing through my
veins. “I can’t.”

“Is it
because you’re seeing someone else?” His eyes veered to my bare left hand. “Are
you married?”

He has to
be kidding me…“No. I’m not married or seeing anyone else. I’m—”

“So would
eight o’ clock be fine? And where exactly do you want to meet?” He looked
directly into my eyes and I almost collapsed onto the floor.

The look
he was giving me should’ve been reserved for a seductive scene in a romance
movie and his dreamy smile was lethal.

“Look,
I’m completely flattered but you look kind of young.”

He
furrowed his eyebrow. “That’s very nice of you to say, but that doesn’t answer
my question. Where do you want to—”

“Well,
that’s way too young for me. I have a little cousin that’s more in your age
range. She’s currently studying law, but if you want I can call and ask her
if—”

“You
don’t want to go out with me?”

“No.
I’m way too old for you, and I’m not a cougar or a cradle robber. I have two
daughters and I would feel some type of way if they dated someone who had our
age difference.”

“Our
agedifference?”

“Yes. I’m
thirty nine, which means that when you were eight years old and learning
how to build fires with the Boy Scouts, I was nineteen and in college. It means
that when you were nineteen and trying to figure out what major you
wanted to pick, I was thirty trying to build a career in marketing. And just in
case you don’t realize how many years there are that separate us, there are
eleven. Do you not see the problem with that?

“Not
really.” He grinned. “But I can’t force someone to go out with me, can
I?

A
self-diagnosed candy addict, travel junkie, and hypochondriac, Whitney Gracia
Williams LOVES to write about characters that make you laugh, cry, and want to
(in the case of Selena Ross) reach through your Kindle and slap them.

She is
the "imaginary bestselling" author of the Jilted Bride Series, Mid
Life Love, Wasted Love, and Captain of My Soul.

When
she's not locked inside her room, feverishly typing away on her laptop, she can
be found here: http://www.whitneygracia.com

She also
loves getting emails from her readers, so if you want to tell her how much you
loved (or hated) her stories, email her at whitgracia@gmail.com

Mari meets Luca on an adult website.
She’s still smarting from a divorce and only looking to explore her desires.
They create wish lists of their sexual fantasies and agree to work through them
together. No strings, no attachments, nothing but pleasure, and Mari
anticipates their first meeting with impatience. But through a miscommunication
involving a private text message and Mari’s nosy brother, Luca ends up at her
30th birthday party, before their planned rendezvous. Much to her surprise,
they seem to connect better than she expected, and in ways she hadn’t expected.
He’s strong, commanding, but also gentle and respectful and he makes her ache
in ways she never thought possible.

But when Luca later expresses a desire for something
more than just casual sex, Mari's impulse is to run the other way. After all,
her failed marriage is evidence that she really shouldn’t go much deeper. Can
Luca convince Mari otherwise? Can he help her see that he's her ultimate
birthday wish come true?

Birthday Wishes is Book 1 in The List Series is
intended for an adult audience only and contains mature themes, including
graphic and explicit sex.

Review:

Whew, this
is one steamy novella! No confusion here… there is A LOT of sex, and a lot of
sexy Luca. Yum! If you’re looking for a quite sexy read that will capture your
attention Birthday Wishes is it. It definitely
left me wanting more, which is good, since book 2 comes out July 1st.

Mari and Luca’s
story is unconventional at best, but the connect between the two is undeniable
and Braxton Cole works wonders with words, while Luca works wonders, I tell you
WONDERS, in the bedroom. He certainly knows his way around a woman’s body and
he will leave you panting for more, more, more. Pick this one up quick so that
you’ll be all ready to dive into book 2, All
Wrapped Up.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Growing
up in small town Wisconsin, Carly Turner couldn't wait to escape when she
graduated high school. Now, she's living the life in New York City, even if she
isn't seeing her name in lights like she used to dream about at night. She's
living paycheck-to-paycheck, working behind the scenes in small theaters off
Broadway. When there's an equipment malfunction the week before opening night,
Carly makes a call that winds up changing everything.

Life in the city isn't all it's cracked up to be. While she feels like she's
getting closer to making the move from behind the scenes to center stage, she
misses being surrounded by people who understand the quirks that come from living
in a town of five thousand people. That, and the fact that he's sexy as sin,
make Adam everything she feels like she's missing.

The only problem? He's her best friend's kid brother...

Adam Sanders wants to settle down, find a good woman and start a family like he
sees so many of his friends doing. But how is he supposed to meet Ms. Right
when he's constantly on the road for work? When he's sent to New York to handle
a repair that would typically be contracted out as a favor to his boss, he's
just about to his breaking point.

Everything changes when the stagehand sent to open the theater for him is none
other than his big sister's childhood friend. The same girl he lusted after as
a teenager. Could this be fate's way of showing him that he was looking in the
wrong place for love?

As Adam and Carly's friendship develops, lines will be crossed and rules will
be broken. Will they be able to come out the other side without destroying
everything they had back in Brooklyn?

Teaser:

"Hello?" A deep voice resonated from
backstage. The way the timbre of the man’s voice echoed off the acoustic panels
in the empty theater sent a shiver down Carly’s spine. She was surrounded daily
by men whose voices could melt butter, but there was something about this
particular voice that heightened her senses.

"Out here," she shouted, still
wrestling to pull the set piece out of the curtain without causing any damage
Dax would make her fix later. She blew a stray hair away from her eyes as the
lighting contractor rounded the corner.

When she looked up, she did a double-take. The
broad shoulders and angled jaw were all new but there was no mistaking the icy
blue eyes looking down at her. They were the same eyes she had seen
nearly every day of her childhood.
"Adam?"

"Carly Turner? What are the odds..."

When she had moved away from home, Adam Sanders
had been a bit gangly and not nearly this tall. She figured he would have grown
up to be the man a woman grew to love for his heart despite his awkward
appearance. The fact that it looked like he wasn’t opposed to spending time in
the gym and he had lost the child-like face did nothing to settle her nerves.Carly shook the thoughts out of her head. This was Adam, the boy who had
been the little brother Carly never had. Even if she had never felt that
familial bond with him, there was definitely a rule about drooling over your
best friend's little brother.

"Well, I think they're probably long enough
that there's no point in buying a lottery ticket tonight," Oh god, did
I just compare seeing Adam to winning the lottery?

*****

Click on the picture to get BENT for FREE! For a limited time only!

About the Author:

With the
exception of three years spent in the middle of Nebraska, H.B. Heinzer has
called southern Wisconsin home. During that time in Nebraska, she imagined one
of her favorite authors living on the far western edge of the county, just
south of the highway. At the time, becoming a novelist was a distant dream for
her. Now, she is the author living in that location. Ironically, she later
found out that same favorite author lives just outside the town HB lived in for
the first eighteen years of her life.
Now, HB lives in the middle of nowhere but still close enough to the city to
not feel isolated. It's the perfect place to let her two kids run and explore
their huge yard, teach them about the food chain as they prepare their
first-ever garden and debate building a chicken coop. It's one of those dreams
that is only possible thanks to the amazing opportunities that have come
through writing.

Stalking and
restraining orders are a thing of Alayna Pierce’s past. With her MBA newly in
hand, she has her future figured out – move up at the nightclub she works at
and marry the manager, David. He’s perfect for her because, although he’s
attractive, he doesn’t get her all turned inside out and upside down like some
other men have. It’s a safe plan, one that assures she’ll remain in control of
her obsessive love disorder.

But what Alayna didn’t figure on is Hudson Pierce, the new owner
of the nightclub. He’s smart, rich, and gorgeous – the kind of guy Alayna knows
to stay away from if she wants to keep her past tendencies in check. Except,
Hudson’s fixed his sights on her. He wants her in his bed and makes no secret
of his plans to seduce her. Avoiding him becomes impossible after he offers a
business proposition Alayna can’t turn down and she’s drawn further into his
universe, unable to resist his gravitational pull.

Soon Alayna’s charmed by Hudson in every way
possible and the control over her old behaviors slip. When she learns Hudson
has a dark history of his own, she realizes too late that she’s fallen for the
worst man she could possibly get involved with. Or maybe their less than ideal
pasts give them an opportunity to heal each other and finally find the love
their lives have been missing.

Excerpt

Streams of sunlight poured through the windows,
warming and waking me up earlier than I would have on my usual sleep schedule.
Before looking, I sensed I was alone. When I turned, I squinted at the clock on
the nightstand next to where Hudson should have been sleeping.
Nine-twenty-seven.
I blinked several times,
adjusting my eyes, while I considered whether I wanted to get up and search for
my lover or roll over and go back to sleep. I still hadn’t made a decision when
the doors opened to the bedroom and Hudson appeared wearing nothing but black
silk pajama bottoms and carrying a breakfast tray.
“Good, you’re awake,” he said
as I sat up, the smell of coffee luring me further out of sleep. “I’m showing
my family what an awesome boyfriend I am by bringing you breakfast in bed.
Omelets. Sans mushrooms, of course. No cherry-flavored blow pops.” He winked as
he set the tray on the table in the sitting area.
“This is one of those
inappropriate moments for a blow pop anyway. And you should have said amazingly
awesome boyfriend. Breakfast in bed is the best.” Though the thing making my
mouth water was the never tiresome sight of Hudson barefoot and shirtless.
“I’m not that awesome.” He
left the tray and untied the string of his PJs, letting them fall to the
ground, exposing his beautifully erect penis. He slid under the covers and
climbed over me. “I’m going to make you eat it cold.”
Before his kiss prevented me
from speech or thought I mumbled, “Cold breakfast sounds perfect.”

Fixed on You Playlist

This Love Will Be Your Downfall – Ellie Goulding

China – Tori Amos

You Give Me Something – James Morrison

The Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice

Volcano – Damien Rice

Every Breath You Take – Police

Fuck Was I – Jenny Owens Young

White Flag – Dido

Use Somebody – Kings of Leon

Blood Bank – Bon Iver

Heart of Stone – Iko

Scream – Usher

Poison and Wine – The Civil Wars

So Easy – Phillip Phillips

Fix You – Coldplay

Gravity – Sara Bareilles

Die Alone – Ingrid Michaelson

Try – Nelly Furtado

Toxic – Britney Spears

Possession – Sarah McLachlan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laurelin
Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing,
much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to
complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s
probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam
Levine. She is represented by Bob Diforio of D4EO Literary Agency.